Also in the ext2 partition, run sudo mknod (mount-point-of-ext2-part)/dev/ttyS0 c 4 64(or equivalent)

(The last two steps are only strictly necessary if you want to use the serial console, but the first two are necessary all of the time.)

Then pop the card in and you should boot into Debian! The instructions on the bento-linux Wiki for X11 work as well, although I found I needed a window manager (like xfce4) installed before X11 would stay launched.

EDIT: If you’re having trouble booting from SD, I just had an experience where uboot was refusing to load ‘scriptcmd’ even though it was correct. I had to reformat the FAT partition and re-copy the files. Not sure what that was about, but might be worth trying if your Debian suddenly refuses to boot.

Notes

The new scriptcmd adds the kernel command line arg “console=ttyS0,115200n8” to the command line. Seems unnecessary, but I couldn’t get it to boot successfully at all without this addition.

If you don’t replace the netbook kernel with the one from Eken, you won’t get any graphics display. Although debian will still run fine through the serial port. I’m guessing the netbook kernel has the LCD buffer at a different address.

Eken boots android with mem=109M on the command line whereas abrasive has used mem=112M. I don’t know if the Android version is allocating extra space for framebuffer double buffering, or something else. I haven’t noticed any differences yet so I’m running with mem=109M.

I haven’t tried the optional scriptcmd.install to install Debian to the internal flash, yet. I’m guessing you may need to repartition the mtd to get full use, as the Android partitioning scheme uses two partitions.

Pro tip: to see the insides of a scriptcmd file run ‘tail -c +73 scriptcmd’

Disk access when running from the SD card is sloooow (at least for slow SD cards like mine.) Don’t know if running from internal flash is any better.

I’m guessing that the framebuffer works normally in the Debian install because it isn’t using double-buffering, which is necessary for Android to work. I don’t know if ‘abrasive’ had to do anything special to get the ‘fbcon’ console module to work, I’m going to try and find out though!

EDIT: Jacob Stoner has come up with a small program to init the touchscreen, and a more recent version of evtouch that works for input. info here, init program & recent evtouch. He says he’s going to come out with an installable package (no serial/keyboard required) shortly.

I had a quick try at copying across the wm9715-api.ko & wm9715-ts_800_480.ko touchscreen modules from the Eken firmware, and using them with the package xserver-xorg-input-evtouch to provide a touchscreen mouse. No luck, though. The ‘evtest’ utility shows screen presses coming in, but no X/Y coordinates. A better approach might be to compile the the Wolfson OSS drivers against the 2.6.29 kernel headers.

Just to report back on the touchscreen driver again: I tried compiling the wm97xx-ts module from the 2.6.29 source tree. This depends on the ac97-bus module, because the WM9715 uses AC97 to communicate.

Looks like the Eken kernel has its own proprietary ac97 support compiled in, but it’s not compatible with the Linux kernel’s OSS ac97 support (same kernel version, mind you!) So the OSS ac97_bus module can’t get to the AC97 interrupt, so the OSS touchscreen driver doesn’t work.

Thanks Angus for your reply. I must say I don’t have exactly your device, but another one which according to the information in WinCE runs
a WM8505. However, I’ve learned that this might just not be correct, aka hard-coded string. I’ve tried now a distribution for VT8500 SoCs
and that definitely executes the scriptcmd file. The messages from scriptcmd appear on the scree now. Linux kernel still does not boot so the investigation continues, but probably this is the wrong forum here.

Summary: no problem with the SD card, different hardware in the device

Could someone post the link to the android 1.6 for eken? The link above is sending to the android 1.7.4, and the tutorial is not working with this version. Or maybe someone could upload the version of the tutorial in some place on the web. Thanks a lot. Cool tutorial, I’m waiting to test it on my Eken.

Actually, I’m trying to do it in a Apad… Wrong name, my fault. I bought this gadget thinking about to change the OS, and install Debian. Just an experience, if it craps my Apad, I don’t care :)

Anyway, I’ve partitioned the 2GB SD card (not SDHC) in 42 MB to fat16 and the rest in ext2. What I got confused is if I should label the ext2 or fat16 as bootable (I use GParted to do the job).

The fail is simple, I’m just getting boot on Android, not the SD card.

I think if I (or we!) succeed it, could be a great choice to change the OS, because it’s possible to make a light Debian, maybe using XVesa instead Xorg, add a swap in the internal memory… you know, the possibilities are immense.

Hello!, I just found this yesterday from the Slatedriod forums. I followed your’s/abrasiveâ€™s directions a couple of different times, and all I’ve gotten is a black screen with the moving green progress bar indefinitely. Is it possible I have a different revision m001 than you?

Hi im currently tring to get debian working on flytouch. And i cant get the wifi to work, everytime that i try to get the connection up it says, that the device isnt found. Im wondering why cause eken and flytouch share the same wifi chip.

The title refers to a jacob stoner ekon debian build with x11 and touchscreen.
Can someone point me to it on js’ site there is nothing regarding the ekon.
I would really love to see a superlight distro like puppy or crunchbang work on this. I know it’s possible. THey work well with 256mb of ram.
Hope someone comes up with it.

Thanks alot!
right, I completely forgot, those distros are x86!!!.
I never understood why debian supported all those CPUS , but now I really think I’ll appreciate it!!!!
I’ve got hi hopes for this thing.
I really think tablets are overpriced, and lack freedom.
If we could unleash the power of choice we have on PC’s to these little nifty devices it could change
I hate android’s sandbox. Sandboxes are for babies. hehehehhehe

I’ve got high hopes,also because i really understand the limitations of this machine, i really want debian just for very light prgs.

Do you think I have chances of compiling and using succesfully ths stuff?

I’m worried mostly about icedove, it’s pretty heavy for a machine like this…

I already use these programs on cruchbang based on debian, on a 2002 pentim-M 2.4ghz with 640mb of ram. my conky system monitor tells me that used memory rarely goes above 140mb, it’s usually around 80-100mb (and i’ve got a heavy system, with Xfce too!!!)

That’s what convinced me to givr it a try. you think my hopes are exaggerated?